Zebrasoma and Paracanthurus — Randall 
401 
break into spots antero-ventrally on the body; 
head and chest with small pale spots; dorsal 
and anal fins dark with curved pale lines 
which may be broken into spots; caudal fin 
dark with faint pale spots; caudal spine in a 
blackish area. 
The low dorsal and anal fin ray counts 
(Table 1) of the Red Sea, Zanzibar, and Mau- 
ritius specimens and slightly different color 
(the very narrow vertical pale lines on the 
body are more conspicuous) suggest that the 
form in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea might 
be regarded as a different subspecies from that 
in the East Indies and Oceania. Many more 
specimens from various parts of the Indian 
Ocean are needed to establish the nature of 
subspecific differentiation in this species. 
Fig. 3. Postlarval Zebrasoma veliferum , 18 mm., 
Hawaiian Islands. Drawn with the aid of a camera 
lucida by H. Randall. 
The 18 mm. postlarval specimen of Z. 
veliferum (Fig. 3) was collected by Joseph E. 
King of the Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investi- 
gations on Dec. 26, 1951 offshore from Kane- 
ohe, Oahu. It was taken in an oblique haul 
from the surface to about 200 meters with a 
6 foot trawl. 
The juvenile specimen (PL 1) was taken 
with rotenone by the author from a channel 
of 3 to 5 foot depth at Onotoa Atoll, Gilbert 
Islands. The area was sandy with occasional 
heads of Heliopora. 
Fig. 4. Zebrasoma gemmatum (Cuvier and Valen- 
ciennes), 121 mm., Mauritius. 
The largest specimen seen by me was 275 
mm. in standard length. De Beaufort (1951: 
169) recorded total length to 395 mm., which 
would be about 315 mm. in standard length. 
Although widespread in the tropical Indian 
and West Pacific Oceans, this species is not 
as abundant as many of the other surgeon 
fishes. Schultz and Woods (1953: 641) state 
that a large school was observed entering 
shallow water in the Marshall Islands; the 
individuals of the school were swimming at 
times with their dorsal fins out of water like 
a sail. I have occasionally observed Z. veli- 
ferum underwater in the Hawaiian Islands and 
in the Gilbert Islands, but only as solitary 
individuals. I have never seen the dorsal fin 
elevated. 
Zebrasoma gemmatum 
(Cuvier and Valenciennes) 
Fig. lb; Fig. 4 
Acanthurus gemmatus Cuvier and Valenciennes 
(1835: 255) (Mauritius); Gunther (1861: 
343); Sauvage (1891: 343) (Madagascar?). 
Harp ur us gemmatus Bleeker and Pollen (1874: 
96) (Mauritius). 
Zebrasoma gemmatum Fowler and Bean (1929: 
258). 
Dorsal rays IV, 28; anal rays III, 24; pec- 
toral rays 16 or 17; anterior gill rakers 12 and 
posterior gill rakers 11; 121 mm. specimen 
